Chapter 36

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However, these are all systematic large-scale projects that cannot be completed overnight. Even if one is anxious, it won't help. Wang Shouzhe decided to board the slightly larger boat on the inner river, stepping on the tall rice bags, and sailed back to the Wang family's main residence along the waterways of Fenggu Farm.

The boats on the inner river are all very small. This largest boat is only about sixty feet long and can only carry four or five hundred dan of grain before reaching its limit, far less than the capacity of river boats. Moreover, it is not powered by sails but relies solely on the oars and poles of the boatmen.

Fortunately, the inner river's current is calm, and with the combined effort of the oars and poles, the boat can move, albeit slowly. It took more than an hour to navigate the twenty-li winding waterway, which is equivalent to a speed of just over two kilometers per hour on Earth.

The fleet passed through the river's mouth and entered Zhuwei Lake.

On the not-so-wide Zhuwei Lake, the cluster of buildings of the Wang family's main residence could already be seen below the steep mountain walls. However, Wang Shouzhe did not rush back but continued to observe the terrain of Zhuwei Lake from the boat.

It is slightly elliptical, about six or seven li long and four or five li wide, with a total water area exceeding ten thousand mu. The lake surface is clean and beautiful, surrounded by mudflats and reed beds, exuding a primitive charm.

Perhaps the "natives" might find it desolate, but for Wang Shouzhe, who was accustomed to big cities and human traces everywhere, this primitive scenery made him feel particularly comfortable, even improving his mood.

If such a large body of water were used to raise spirit fish, it would be excellent, Wang Shouzhe thought to himself.

However, Zhuwei Lake has a significant drawback: its water is too shallow, generally less than ten feet deep, and the bottom is filled with silt. It's not suitable for raising spirit fish, let alone large fish.

Moreover, in this fantasy world, large-scale fish farming is not mainstream. At most, some small fish are caught and thrown into ponds to grow freely.

The reason for this is twofold: first, there are many wild fish, and even with rudimentary fishing techniques, one can still catch a good amount of fish. Second, due to the limitations of fishing techniques, investing in large-scale farming in vast lakes is difficult, as catching the fish is also challenging. It's better to fish in the rich An River.

For example, Uncle Li, Wang Dinghai, would need twenty weavers to work for two months to barely produce a small trawl net... The difficulty of setting up large-scale nets in a large lake is unimaginable.

The biggest challenge in fish farming lies in water quality management, density management, disease management, and scientific feeding. A slight mistake can lead to large-scale fish deaths, causing significant losses.

However, in this vast world, with countless Black Tortoise families, some have already made progress in fish farming. For instance, the Lu family in Yingxiu has mastered some fish farming techniques and developed an industry.

However, the Black Tortoise families are very protective of their production techniques and keep them highly confidential. Even women within the family are not allowed to participate in core industries, for fear that they might pass on the techniques after marriage.

Even with Wang Shouzhe's relationship with the Lu family, it would be impossible to obtain their fish farming techniques.

The closed and secretive nature of each family's technology has also led to the overall backwardness of production technology in the Black Tortoise world. Although the patent system on Earth has many flaws, it has indeed sparked a technological revolution, leading to a proliferation of various inventions in a short time.

That said, Wang Shouzhe believes that the Black Tortoise world is better off without such a proliferation. His greatest advantage is his "broad knowledge" and a "forward-looking" perspective that surpasses this world.

He may only have a vague idea of many technologies, but he knows they exist and their general direction. For example, the famous monosodium glutamate (MSG), a product that has revolutionized human taste.

If you asked Wang Shouzhe to develop it, he wouldn't be able to do it in ten or twenty years.

But if he found a group of smart and capable people to specialize in this research, with a clear direction, they might succeed in twenty to thirty years with good luck.

Even if the luck is bad, as long as the related technology continues to accumulate, it should be possible to develop it within a hundred years.

There are also spinning and weaving machines, such as the famous time-traveler's essential—[Jenny Spinning Machine]. Even if Wang Shouzhe were forced to draw the blueprints, he couldn't do it, but he knows such a thing exists and has a vague idea of its principles. With a group of craftsmen working on it, they could eventually figure it out.

If this machine were developed, its impact would be far greater than that of Wang Luojing, the [Spirit Insect Master].

Of course, these are just ideas. Before the family has the strength to handle it, introducing such things would be suicidal. For example, the Changning Xu family, whose main business is textiles, would immediately turn against the Wang family because the [Jenny Spinning Machine] would threaten their survival.

Let's leave this aside for now.

Wang Shouzhe's fleet gradually accelerated in Zhuwei Lake and arrived at the back courtyard dock of the Wang family's main residence in less than half an hour.

This dock and waterway, though not frequently used, are the main route for transporting grain and other supplies from the farms to the family. Although the waterway is slower, it has a larger capacity and requires fewer carts, as raising horses is much more expensive than raising people.

At the usually deserted back courtyard dock of the Wang family's main residence, there were now many people gathered, led by two women. One of them was Wang Shouzhe's eldest aunt, Gong Sun Hui, and not far behind her stood a young woman, Wang Luotong.

Behind them were four family guards, three of whom were women. Notably, among the nine family guards, three are women.

As the boat was about to dock, still about twenty feet away, Wang Shouzhe leaped, his body soaring through the air like a large bird, landing steadily on the dock in just two breaths.

This is Wang Shouzhe's current leaping ability, far surpassing any long jump or high jump champion on Earth, but not reaching the level of high-flying or mountain-shattering in some high-fantasy worlds.

"Aunt, why are you back? Didn't you stay longer at your parents' house to accompany your grandfather?" Wang Shouzhe greeted Gong Sun Hui with a bow.

"Earlier, you wrote to my brother Gong Sun Qiang to help you. I asked Wang Zhong for a general idea and learned that the main residence also needs assistance," Gong Sun Hui said. "Though I don't know the specifics, I thought it best to return to the family as soon as possible to help. You mentioned in your letter that you need to clear out the back courtyard warehouse, but only part of it has been cleared so far."

"Thank you, Aunt. For now, the partial clearance is enough," Wang Shouzhe bowed again, feeling warm and touched. Aunt Gong Sun Hui was truly considering the family's interests and was wholeheartedly supporting him in managing the family.

"Fourth Brother." Wang Luotong bowed to Wang Shouzhe, her eyes slightly shimmering. In the letter, Fourth Brother had entrusted her with some tasks.

What did this mean? It meant Fourth Brother trusted her. She also wanted to be like her younger sister, Wang Luojing, and contribute to the family and Fourth Brother.

"Luotong, thank you for your hard work. Oh, you've advanced to the third level of Qi Cultivation?" Wang Shouzhe's eyes narrowed slightly. Using the Qi Observation Technique, he could see that Wang Luotong's aura was much stronger than before, and she was having trouble controlling the overflow of her aura. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, Fourth Brother." Wang Luotong's cheeks turned slightly red as she happily replied, "If it weren't for the [Little Yuan Pill] you sent from the family treasury, I wouldn't have advanced so quickly."

"That's also because you've worked hard and reached the peak of the second level of Qi Cultivation," Wang Shouzhe praised. "Keep it up and set an example for the younger generation."

Understanding her situation, he wouldn't have let her linger at the peak of the second level of Qi Cultivation. Before leaving, he had arranged for a [Little Yuan Pill] to be sent to her from the family treasury.

She proved to be quite capable, advancing quickly. At least she was better than Wang Zongwei, who was still struggling at the high end of the second level of Qi Cultivation at twenty years old.

"Sure, Fourth Brother, Luotong will work hard," Wang Luotong smiled and nodded, feeling very happy to gain Fourth Brother's recognition.

As they were talking, the grain boats gradually docked.

Aunt Gong Sun Hui directed the family guards, servants, and slaves to transport the grain to the cleared-out rooms. Even Wang Luotong joined in, working alongside the female guards as the main force in transporting the grain.

She had already reached the third level of Qi Cultivation, and her strength and endurance far exceeded those of ordinary servants. She could carry four or five bags of rice at once and move quickly. Aunt Gong Sun Hui initially wanted to stop her, but Wang Shouzhe signaled her to let Luotong contribute in her own way.

Moreover, seeing the fourth Miss of the Luo generation participating in the grain transport and working up a sweat, the guards and servants worked even harder, showing no signs of laziness and full of enthusiasm.

The family's cohesion and unity are built up in these small actions.

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